Watchcase.



No. 700,473. Patented May 20, I902.

E. BILAT.

WATCHGASE.

(Application filed Jan. 30, 1902.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

EDNVARD BILAT, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO DUBOIS \VATOH- CASE COMPANY, YORK.

OF BROOKLYN, NE\V YORK, A CORPORATION OF NE\V WATCHCAS E.

SEECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 700,473, dated May 20, 1902.

Application filed January 30,1902. Serial No. 91,855. .NO model.)

To all 1.0710111, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD BILA'I, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have made and invented certain new and useful Improvements in Watchcases, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in watch'cases, and more particularly to that kind or class thereof wherein the watchcase center is omitted, the backs or back and bezel being so arranged as to close together at their edges and over and around the movementring.

The invention further relates to what is generally known and termed as a huntingcase-that is, a case consisting in part of a front lid or back and back lid and bezel in contradistinction to an open-face case, wherein the frontlid is omitted, the object being to'prodnce a watchcase which while retaining all the advantages of dust-proof qualities inherent in cases having a center shall at the same time have the smallest possible diameter or thickness in cross-section.

Afurt-her object of my invention is to overcome the difiiculties usually experienced in the manufacture of similar cases, the prineipal one of which is to so arrange the lock and fly springs that they will be effective for thepurpose for which they are intended withontnecessitating the enlargement of the case.

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to form the spring integral with the movement-ring; but such has proved commercially impracticable by reason of the fact that when a spring or springs were broken or damaged an entire new movement-ring 0 was required to replace the old one. It has further been proposed to attach the lock and fly springs to the outer side of the movement-' ring; but such arrangement is impracticable in the class of cases herein described by rea 4 5 son of the fact that the springs are not allowed a sufficient play between the backs and outer surface of the movement-ring to be effective. Again, it has been attempted to secure the springs in the back back of the case; but this arrangement has also been found impracticable, owing to the fact that it is necessary to cut away the base of the pendant to allow of the end of the lock-spring to project into said pendant to engage with the winding stem or arbor, and thereby operate said spring. This cutting awayof the pondant, however, to a greater or less extent destroys the dust-proof qualities of the case, and, further, in such construction and arrangement of parts the lock formed on the lock-spring is allowed only a limited play or movement between the outer surface of the bezel and outer extreme edge of the back lid, thereby necessitating the case to be enlarged to such extent as to permit sufficient movement of said lock to be disengaged from the front lid of the case, In overcoming these objections I have constructed a watchcase wherein both the lock and fiy springs are contained within the movement-ring, the latter being cut away to one side of the pendant to receive and accommodate the lock on the lock-spring and having an opening formed therein opposite to the pendant to allow of the projection or lip on the end of the fiyspring to extend through the same and engage with the front back or lid of the case.

My improved watchcase contains other certain new and useful improvements, all of which will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of a watchcase containing my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig.

1, the lids or backs of the case being shown in their open adjustment. Fig. AC is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the case, showing the manner of flanging the backs and bezel and snapping them into their proper relative positions. Fig. 5 is a detached view of the movement-ring containing the lock and fly springs. Fig. 6 is a detached view of the bezel.

Referring to the drawings, 7 represents a movement-ring, to which'is soldered or otherwise secured the pendant 8, containing the usual bow 9 and crown 10. This movementring has hinged thereto at a point opposite the pendant the front lid 11. and back lid 12, the several parts being so constructed and arranged that when in their closed adjustment the edges of the lids or backs will come together, as hereinafter described, to form a tight joint and entirely inclose and conceal the movement-ring, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The ring 7 is provided near one edge with a groove 29, into which snaps the bezel 13, the edge 30 of the latter being cutaway, as at 14:, to accommodate the hinge 2S, connecting the backs and movement-ring, also as at 15, to accommodate the lock on the lock-spring and at 16 to accommodate the pendant. In the movement-ring 7 is also formed a groove 17, adapted to receive the snap 18, formed on the edge of the back lid12,aflange orbeadlf) beingformed around the movement-ring and between said grooves, as illustrated in Figs. 3, 1-, and 5. The snap 18, formed on the back 12, is formed with the bead or flange 20, which when the snap 18 is sprung into the groove 17, formed in the movement-ring, fits over and upon the head or flange 19, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the front edges of said beads or flanges 19 and 20 fitting flush against the flat surface of the snap 30, formed on the bezel, thus rendering the watchcase dust and moisture proof as far as is possible with snapping edges. The front lid or back 11 is provided with the flattened edge 21, which edge when said lid is closed bears upon or rests against the edge of the back lid 12 and between the bead or flange 2O thereon and the outer or extreme edge of said lid, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, the front lid being held in its closed position by means of the lock 22 on the-lock-spring The operative end of this lock-spring 23 is preferably constructed as illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein it is shown with the lock proper, 21, formed thereon at some distance back of the extreme end 24, thus bringing it to one side of the base of the pendant, as shown in Fig. 1, instead of immediately opposite, as has heretofore been the practice, the movement-ring being cut away, as shown at 25,to allow said lock proper, 21, to project beyond the same through the opening 15 in the bezel 13 and engage with the edge 21 of the front lid 11. To the crown 10 is secured the winding stem or arbor 26, which passes through the end 21- of the lock-spring 23, and by means of a shoulder thereon (not shown) forces inwardly the end of said lockspring when slight pressure is applied to the crown. By thus constructing and arranging the several parts the end of the lock-spring is allowed a play or movement between the H1 ovement-ring and contained movement, thereby rooms causing the lock proper, 21, to move inwardly and outwardly under the bezel instead of between the bezel and outer extreme edge of the back lid, as before described. By these means the case may be made much smaller in size, thereby effecting,asIhavelearnedinpractice, a saving of several pennyweights of metal, a considerable item when the case is made of gold or other precious metal. The lock and fly springs are held in their proper positions within the movement-ring by means of pins, one of which is shown at 27, Fig.

As watchcases have heretofore been constructed without centers and with the bezel and back hinged to the movement-ring, I make no claim thereto; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a watchcase, the combination with a movement-ring provided with two grooves, and with a separating flange or head, of a bezel snapping into one of said grooves, a back lid hinged to said movement-ring and snapping into the other of said grooves and over and upon said separating-flange, a front lid hinged to said movement-ring and having its edge fitting against the edge of said back lid, and lock and fly springs contained within said movement-ring and having their ends projecting through the latter to engage with said front lid, substantially as described.

In a watchcase, the combination with a movement-ring provided with two grooves, and with a separating flange or head, of a bezel snapping into one of said grooves, a back lid hinged to said movement-ring and snapping into the other of said grooves and against said separating-flange, a front lid hinged to said move1nentring and having its edge fitting against the edge of said backlid, a pendant secured to said movement-ring opposite said hinge, and lock and fly springs contained within said movement-ring, the former being provided with a lock fitting in a recess formedin the edge ofsaid movementring at one side of the pendant, and the latan'opening formed in said movement-ring opposite the pendant, substantially as described.

Signed at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, this 28th day of January, A. D. 1202.

ED\VARD BILAT.

Witnesses:

OHARLEs L. DnroLLtnn, M. VAN NORTWICK.

5 ter with a lip or projection extending through 

